Difference between revisions of "Energy Systems - Audacity"

Latest revision as of 15:49, 2 November 2011

Audacity is developed by a team of volunteers and released under an open-source license and is the only audio editing software that is run on Mac's, PC's, and Linux computers. Go to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ to download the most current version 1.3.13 Beta.

Getting Started

Open Audacity found in the applications folder.

Save your project

(preferrably after every edit) File > Save navigate to your hard drive and create a folder with your name and save it to that folder. This folder will contain all your audio files and edit information so you can continue to work on different computers so keep this folder and it's information contained.

Inside your folder there will be the Audacity project file with a .aup extension and a folder ending with _data.

For example, inside the folder called interview if the project was named October there would be a file called October.aup and a folder called October_data.

Always keep the project file and data folder together.

Importing audio

File > Import > Audio navigate to the audio files that you want to import.

If Audacity opens a warning screen click the option that says "Make a copy of the files before editing (Safer)" and click OK.

Tools

Transport Toolbar

- controls playback and recording

Tools Toolbar

- chooses various tools for selection, volume adjustment, zooming, time-shifting of audio and a multi-function tool

Meter Toolbar

- displays levels for playback and recording

Mixer Toolbar

- controls the mixer settings of the sound card

Transcription Toolbar

- plays audio at a slower or faster speed, affecting the pitch

Edit Toolbar

- cut, copy, paste, trim, silence, undo, redo, sync-lock, zoom

Tracks

Adding Tracks

Tracks > Add new > Audio track, Stereo track, Label track, or Time track

Mono track

-this is one audio file recorded with one microphone

Stereo track

-this is one audio file with a left and right track recorded with a stereo microphone. Stereo tracks can be split into two mono tracks.

Label track

-this track allows you to add markers or regional markers to the whole project or individual tracks

Track Control Panel

-allows you to rename the track, provides sample information, mute or solo the track, increase volume and pan left-right function.

Editing

Playback

Listen to your project hit the spacebar on your keyboard to Stop or Play

Zooming

Zooming In/Out helps you make accurate selections of your waveform.

Selection Tool

Highlight a portion of audio using your Selection Tool

Labeling Tracks

Label tracks and take notes of your project Listen to your audio and make labels.

Go to Tracks > Add New > Label Tracks
Tracks > Add Label at Selection
Name your label.
Use Tab on your keyboard to select forwards to the next label, and SHIFT+Tab to select backwards to the previous label.

Editing Audio

Open a blank track - this will be your working pallet.
1. Tracks > Mono track or Stereo Track
Choose the Selection tool in the Tools Toolbar.
Highlight your audio then Edit menu > copy
Select a point in your empty track then Edit menu > paste

Effects

Equalization

Allows you to increase or decrease desired frequencies.

Noise Removal

Removes unwanted background noise.

Normalize

Increases the overall volume of your waveform equally.

Envelope

Let's you control a tracks volume changes smoothly over time.

Select the envelope tool.
Click a beginning, end, and middle point on your audio waveform.
Click and hold on a point to increase or decrease the volume.

Exporting

File > Export this command exports the entire project except muted tracks. File > Export Selection this command exports only selected tracks.

Format:

Select .wav for a high quality uncompressed file but bigger file size.

Select .mp3 for a lower quality, compressed, but small file size.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 (preferrably after every edit) '''File &gt; Save''' navigate to your hard drive and create a folder with your name and save it to that folder. This folder will contain all your audio files and edit information so you can continue to work on different computers so keep this folder and it's information contained.
+Inside your folder there will be the Audacity project file with a '''.aup''' extension and a folder ending with '''_data'''.
+For example, inside the folder called '''interview''' if the project was named '''October''' there would be a file called '''October.aup''' and a folder called '''October_data'''.
+Always keep the project file and data folder together.
 ====Importing audio====
 '''File > Import &gt; Audio''' navigate to the audio files that you want to import.
+If '''Audacity''' opens a warning screen click the option that says "Make a copy of the files before editing (Safer)" and click '''OK'''.
 ===Tools===
@@ Line 107: / Line 111: @@
-'''Equalization'''
+====Equalization====
 Allows you to increase or decrease desired frequencies.
 [[File:Audacity-Graphic-EQ.png|400px]]
-'''Noise Removal'''
+====Noise Removal====
 Removes unwanted background noise.
 [[File:Audacity-Noise-Removal.png]]
-'''Normalize'''
+====Normalize====
 Increases the overall volume of your waveform equally.
 [[File:Audacity-Normalize.png]]
-'''Envelope'''
+====Envelope====
 Let's you control a tracks volume changes smoothly over time.
 [[File:Audacity-envelope.png]]
-Select the envelope tool.
+#Select the envelope tool.
-Click a beginning, end, and middle point on your audio waveform.
+#Click a beginning, end, and middle point on your audio waveform.
-Click and hold on a point to increase or decrease the volume.
+#Click and hold on a point to increase or decrease the volume.
 ===Exporting===
@@ Line 142: / Line 145: @@
 Select .mp3 for a lower quality, compressed, but small file size.
-[[category:Audacity]]
   [[category:2011-2012]]